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The child development and family studies major at University of North Texas at Dallas provides an interdisciplinary degree through the university's School Of Human Services and Education. The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skill set to become practitioners in the area of children and to examine how families function systemically.

The Child and Family Studies program at Baylor University focuses on a contextual understanding of families and individuals in a diverse and ever-changing world. Students acquire broad knowledge in the study of individuals, families, and relationships. Child and Family Studies students go beyond the classroom to get hands-on experience. They practice application of knowledge, developing skills that will maximize their efforts in their work with individuals and families. Students have opportunities to work with children at Baylor's Piper Center for Family Studies and Child Development, shadow professionals in the field, complete Child and Family related service in a variety of agencies/organizations, and are required to successfully complete a practicum experience in an agency/organization in their area of interest. Baylor Child and Family Studies students select a specific area (Child Development, Child Life, or Family Studies) as the focus of their studies, while also taking a wide range of courses to better prepare them as professionals who will work with individuals and families. Completion of a Family and Consumer Sciences degree in the Child and Family Studies program leads to careers involving children, adults, and families in communities, government, and business.

The Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) explores the psychological, social, and biopsychosocial processes that lead individuals and families to a spectrum of outcomes, from productivity, health, and well-being at one end to illness, dysfunction, and distress at the other. HDFS at UT-Austin is a dynamic program that is among the nation's best interdisciplinary departments. Our faculty are award-winning teachers, leaders in prestigious scientific societies, recipients of national and international awards for outstanding research accomplishments and distinguished careers, and recipients of major grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and numerous private foundations. Our senior faculty are among the elite researchers in the discipline, and our junior faculty are some of the field's brightest up and coming stars.

Through an integration of the root disciplines involved in lifespan human development, the Department of Family Sciences facilitates the development of learning and competencies in students who will enhance the quality of individuals' and families' lives in a diverse global society. The Family Sciences faculty empowers students to be proactive and systemic in approach.

The Human Development and Family Studies concentrations are part of the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education. These program areas prepare professionals through study, research, and practical experiences to enhance the quality of life and education for children, youth, adults, and families. Graduates are prepared to assume diverse roles in parent/family life education, child life, early childhood intervention, teaching, research, administration, and other professions requiring knowledge of human development and family life. The undergraduate and graduate programs are connected with the Certified Family Life Educator credential through the National Council on Family Relations and with Early Childhood Intervention certification through the state of Texas. We have had an active Child Life program since the 1980's, and we train public school teachers who certify in Family and Consumer Sciences.

The mission of the Department of Marriage and Family Studies is to equip students to strengthen family relationships and solve personal and relational problems through child and family services or therapeutic intervention while cultivating Christian leadership and character in each student.

The undergraduate program in Child and Family Services accomplishes this mission through:

emphasizing the formation of healthy relationships and the promotion of optimal human development;

examining current research and theory regarding the normal issues with which individuals and families must contend as they grow and evolve;

creating opportunities for students to design, implement, and evaluate family life education programs; and

providing diverse practicum experiences that prepare students for future employment.

The graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy accomplishes this mission through:

Emphasizing a Christocentric view of human nature and personal/relational problems within a context of diversity;

Providing a diverse clinical training experience;

Encouraging development of a professional identity by fostering involvement in the profession of marriage and family therapy; and

An academic program in Human Sciences has been offered at SFA, in Nacogdoches, Texas, since the university opened in 1923. The school has academic majors in Human Development and Family Studies, Food, Nutrition & Dietetics, Interior Design, Interior Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising, Hospitality Administration,and Family and Consumer Sciences.

Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees are offered; the B. S. program is among the largest in the state. Academic programs in Human Sciences prepare professionals who seek innovative solutions to the challenges of a contemporary society and of a changing world. The fundamental focus of the discipline is on humankind and the human condition throughout the life cycle.

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences is in the College of Applied Arts and offers the B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences. Family and Child Development is a program option for majors in FCS. The School also offers a M.S. in Family and Child Studies. The M.S. degree in Family and Child Studies is an applied program that provides graduate level study dealing with the needs of families and children. The Family and Child Studies program offers both a Family and Child Studies track and a Child Life Specialist track. Both undergraduate and graduate students also have the opportunity to participate in many ways at the Texas State Child Development Center, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is a multidisciplinary department that applies contextual and systemic frameworks to the study of individual development and relationship processes across the life span through research, teaching, and service. The department offers a wide range of courses in the areas of human development and family studies. A Bachelor's degree from the department prepares students for a variety of human services vocations and/or for pursuing graduate study. An advanced (i.e., Master's or Doctorate) degree prepares students for careers as university or medical school faculty, researchers, and human service providers.

The Department of Behavioral Sciences provides instruction at the undergraduate level in family studies. In addition, the department offers graduate degrees in human services and counseling/family therapy. As students grow spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually, we strive to: prepare students for employment working with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations of diverse social and cultural backgrounds; equip students for lifelong learning including preparation for graduate programs in counseling, family studies, marital and family therapy, psychology, and social work; and empower and encourage students to provide community service with populations at risk through high ideals of the profession and the values of the University.

The Family Studies degree plan is designed to provide an in-depth study of the family and its interrelationships with the larger community, the socialization of the child, and human interaction throughout the lifespan. The student completes an internship at a community agency related to the student's primary interests. The student's professional goals determine selection of supporting courses or specialization area, such as familes & health; families, law & public policy;family science research; family life education & guidance; or, family social services. The Family Studies graduate is qualified to work in private, non-profit, or government agencies that provide care and services for families and children.

The MA in Family Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). It is a full-time 2-year program consisting of 57 semester hours. We are one of the few MFT programs in the country who's graduates also have the courses needed to apply for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Texas (in addition to the MFT license).

We were the first accredited family therapy MA program in the state of Texas, and remain the only AAMFT-accredited program in Houston, the country's 4th largest city. We are nationally known for offering excellence in clinical training and conducting original research and publishing with our students.

In short, this is a special place.

We are a national program, with students applying from across the country as well as other countries.

The Graduate Program in Counseling at Texas State University is designed to provide the necessary training and course work to meet most academic requirements for credentialing and professional work in schools and mental health agencies. We believe that a well-prepared counselor is involved in and committed to a process of intentional growth that promotes pro-social autonomy, lifelong learning, and ethical behavior. These ideals are fostered within a dynamic and multi-modal learning setting in which diversity, critical thinking, self-in-context, scholarship, praxis, and the creation and integration of knowledge are celebrated. The Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University received its initial national accreditation in 2000 from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). All three emphasis areas of the Master of Arts in Professional Counseling are accredited through 2015.The M.A. Degree in Professional Counseling offers three emphases within the program: Community Counseling; Marital, Couple and Family Counseling; and School Counseling.

The MFT Master's program is designed around an outcomes-based educational philosophy. All coursework and program experiences are intended to foster student development and contribute to the following student outcomes upon program completion: (1) Demonstrate knowledge of the history and ongoing development of the MFT discipline, within regional, national, and international contexts; (2) Demonstrate familiarity with selected traditional and contemporary MFT models, including knowledge of key individuals associated with models, unique terminology, conceptuaization of problems, role of therapist, and goals for process within each model, and applications within individual, couple, and family therapy; (3) Utilize knowledge of clients' and therapists' contexts (i.e., culture, economic, family circumstances, family status) to positively contribute to therapeutic process and outcomes; Articulate critiques of MFT models based on culture, gender, and socioeconomic status; (4) Articulate critique of MFT models based on knowledge of child development and factors influencing child development; recognize differential impact of individual and family life cycle within family system; (5) Ability to evaluate appropriateness and apply selected model(s) within individual, couple, and family modalities to facilitate therapeutic process through intake, systemic assessment, treatment planning, management of therapeutic process, evaluation of treatment outcomes, and termination; (6) Demonstrate awareness of and ability to facilitate the development of a positive therapeutic alliance to enhance clinical outcomes with all family members in all modalities of therapy; (7) Demonstrate awareness of one's own professional strengths and limitations and ability to seek and utilize supervision, peer consultation, and involvement of other professionals to enhance treatment outcomes; (8) Demonstrate ability to evaluate own professional conduct in relation to MFT ethical guidelines (AAMFT code and Texas law), recognize ethical dilemmas that may arise in practice settings, and respond appropriately; (9) Demonstrate ability to utilize empirical research and published literature from MFT and related fields to enhance therapeutic services; and (10) Demonstrate one's professional identity as a Marriage and Family Therapist through membership in local, state, and national professional MFT organizations, as well as pursuit of LMFT licensure process in Texas.

This program is designed to prepare clinicians for job opportunities in clinical settings that involve therapeutic services to families, individuals, and couples. Through the program's use of diverse educational perspectives, gathered from the related disciplines of psychology, marital and family therapy, and testing/evaluation, our graduates are able to develop a wide array of clinical skills which can then be utilized in a variety of settings. Coursework and clinical experience requirements are designed to allow the student to pursue the following mental health credentials: Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, and Psychological Associate. It is a two-year, 48-hour program.

Areas of Study

Family Science/Studies - Undergraduate

Therapy (Couples, Marriage, or Family) - Master's

Last Updated

September 29, 2011

The discipline of Family Science is vibrant and growing. Visit Family.Science to learn more.